The Point Beyond the Place
by ScreamQueen93
Summary: The year is 1987. Eric Forman is a motorcycle stunt performer who travels from town to town. When he passes through his hometown, Point Place, he reconnects with Jackie Burkhart, with who he had a casual affair with, to learn that she secretly gave birth to their son. He begins to focus his life on providing for her and their son at whatever cost..even if it means breaking the law.
1. Chapter 1

Eric Forman, young, handsome, tougher, is in his trailer. He takes a deep breath. He obsessively works with a butterfly knife in front of his mirror, before sticking it into a table. His OCD. He zips up a motorcycle jacket over faded prison tattoos, strides from his trailer into the crowded fairgrounds - rides, people, lights. He makes his way into a crowded tent, passing other performers on his way to the main ring. He hears echoing strains of death metal on the PA mix and a cheering audience.

Eric climbs onto his bike, revs the engine. Roadies slap his back, give him high 5's. He is joined by 2 motorcyclists.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, get ready to be rocked by the motor-cycle mayhem of..." The announcer over the P.A began, in a very eager, and enthusiastic voice.

A spherical, metal cage sits under the Big-Top. Next to it stands an ornate portico with a red velvet curtain as a door.

The announcer started talking again, well heard, even over the cheering audience. "Eric Forman and his Rough Riders!"

The two motor-cycles ride ahead of Eric through the curtain and into the cage. Eric bursts through, stops, revs his engine and pumps his fist at the roaring crowd.

Jackie Burkhart, a young beauty with less confidence than she use to have, sits in the bleacher seats, watching the spectacle. Enraptured.

Eric drives into the cage where the other riders make long, lazy loops. He guns it, guides his bike over the inside walls of the cage. He defies gravity while weaving his way around the other two stunt riders. He makes it look easy. But it isn't. It is a death-defying act of bravado. The other two drivers leave the cage and Eric performs his finale; a slow inside loop where his bike leaps from one facet of the cage to another. The crowd goes wild. He doesn't know the girl he use to know, watching him, not cheering, but mesmerized.

"Let's hear it for Eric Forman and his Rough Riders, folks!" The announcer said, and was met with a thunderous cheer from the audience.

It's a bit later. Lights are up. Eric sits on his bike, cigarette in mouth, signing autographs and taking pictures with a gaggle of extremely psyched 8-year old boys. Eric clearly enjoys being the coolest thing in the world to these kids.

Jackie walks against the surge of people exiting the arena. Eric catches sight of her; he drops what he's doing. "Hey!" Eric calls, and walks over to her, cigarette nearly dropping from his mouth.

Jackie shifts awkwardly. "I didn't know if you'd remember..."

Eric looks at her like she's crazy. His fans tug on his clothing, vying for his attention. He pushes through them to get closer to Jackie. They give each other a little hug, careful not to smush the youngsters all around them.

"You wanna go somewhere? Eric asked, putting out the cigarette. "You got plans tonight?"

Jackie shrugs, "I gotta go. I just wanted to see you again."

"Can I give you a ride home?"

She imagines the thrill riding on the back of Eric's bike. Years ago, she never would've thought of him as the bike type. It was too dangerous for the kind of guy he _was. _But things changed.

"I'm fine." Jackie replied. "I can just take the bus." She said to him. A smirk then formed on his face, a smirk that instantly made one appear on Jackie's face as well. They gazed at each other; a strong gaze.

It is nighttime. Eric tears away from the Arena on his bike. Everything around looks run down; abandoned. Point Place wasn't what it use to be. It was even shittier now. It is 1987.

Jackie rides on the back of his bike, her arms holding tight around his abdomen, slightly feeling his muscular arms. She still couldn't believe how much he changed since the '70s. He wasn't twitchy, or nerdy anymore. After Africa, something changed about him. The most noticeable change was his physique. He was built, and strong. He toughened, most definitely, and he only continued to do so as the years went by.

The wind blows his hair into her indecisive face. She really should be on the bus right now. But the air is cold and Eric's body is warm. She buries her face into the back of his leather jacket.

Eric pulls up in front of an old, two-family house. Jackie gets off, looks over her shoulder, and then back to him. "Thanks", she says and gives him a peck on the cheek.

"That's it? You don't wanna talk, or anything..." Eric says. Her uneasy, expression is clear. Looks like she's hiding something.

"I can't...I think about you a lot." She says genuinely, looking into his eyes once more.

"So then lets hang. We pack up after tomorrow night's show and I probably won't be back this way for another year. At least. Wanna get a beer or something?"

Jackie comes close, and whispers, "I'm with someone... I just wanted to see you again..." She kisses him again quick, wishing she could stay. Then runs away, not looking back, up the steps of her home. He watches her the whole way, right until she enters her house. She was just as beautiful.

Eric starts his bike, tears out of the neighborhood, tires squealing smoke, blackening the street.

T7S

It's the next night, once again at the Alamont Fair. Engine gunning, Eric circles the inside of the steel cage in a rage. He is on the verge of crashing. The audience is invested, as usual.

After his performance, roadies and performers pack up the steel cage. Eric wanders through the activity and ignores the throngs of kids seeking autographs. He searches the fair for Jackie. She is nowhere to be found. He mounts his bike, and heads off into the night.

Raging, Eric drives fast through the night streets.

He pulls up at the same old, two-family house as yesterday. He turns his bike off, gets off and heads up the steps. He rings the doorbell once, and only waits a few seconds before a young pretty girl, opened the door.

It wasn't Jackie though.

Her roommate, Emily Parker, young, pretty, opened it. Instantly, she recognizes Eric.

"Hey, Em."

"She's not here", was all she says, looking at him.

Eric sighs, resigned. "Is the man of the house home?" He asks, but hears a baby crying from inside. Emily tries to hide it by closing the door so only her head is visible.

"Nobody's home", she answers. She's a short girl. And Eric peeks over her into the house. He sees a few baby toys scattered in the floor. He looks down. Emily relents. She can't keep him away from the truth any longer. He gets past her, and enters the house. He looks around and follows the sound of the crying baby upstairs. He pushes open the door to Jackie's bedroom.

A baby wails in the center of a twin bed surrounded by pillows. Emily comes in, scoops him up, starts to bounce and "shush" him. Eric stands near the door, rocked.

"You wanna hold him?" She asks.

Eric is unsure. He awkwardly, but gently accepts the baby into his arms. He and the baby stare at one another. Tears well in Eric's eyes as he falls in love with his son. Emily smiles. "Jackie still work at the diner?" He asks her, not taking his eyes of the baby.

Emily tries to give nothing away, but her face easily gives him the answer.

T7S

Eric walks into the Paulie's Diner. It's mostly empty, but there are a few customers. He's pissed, looks around but doesn't see Jackie. He doesn't sit, but waits. Jackie exits kitchen with a tray of food. She sees Eric immediately.

"What are you doing here?" She asks him, eyes widening a bit.

"Oh, I don't know... You think we have anything else to discuss before I take off again tomorrow forever?"

Jackie is frozen for a second. She knows that Eric knows her secret. She walks to a table with her tray of food. Eric stands still and waits for her to come back.

When she returns, she is flustered.

"You weren't gonna tell me?" Is all Eric asks.

They stare intensely at each other. "It was just a fling."

"Still..." Eric replies. "It's common courtesy. Might even be the law." He says, taking a seat at one of the seats at the front table, across from her.

"I haven't heard from you in a year."

"I know it...It's not 'cause I haven't thought about you..." He says, looking directly into her big brown eyes.

"I haven't been waiting to hear from you, or anything." She tells him. Eric looks down.

"What's his name?" He asks her.

Jackie takes a deep breath. "Jason." He looks back up at her.

They look at each other in silence.

"I'm going to school nights now."

"Good for you", Eric says quickly.

"I don't have a lot of time for anything except Jason and school and work. And Steven..."

Silence. A challenge.

Eric nods his head, "Sounds like you got everything you need." He turns and walks away from Jackie. She's crushed as she watches him walk away. She gets back to work.


	2. Chapter 2

It is the next day, and the fair is packed up and ready to leave. It is its last day in Point Place. Eric wheels his bike up to a trailer office. Jack, a weathered older man, sits at his office desk, sips coffee & shoots Eric, who is across from him, a glare from his dilated pupils. He's Eric's boss. 'How many fuckin' times I have to tell you?" Jack exclaims. "After the show, help everyone dismantle. Then you can go get your dick wet and whatever the fuck-else you need to do."

"When's this pay period end? Friday?" Eric asks.

"Why?"

"I need whatever's coming to me now. You can cut off the next two days." Eric states, grabbing out a pack of cigarettes and sticking one in his mouth.

"I don't give out advances", Jack replies.

"It's not an advance... I quit." He says, lighting the cigarette.

Jack looks at him strangely. "You can't quit."

"I'm taking the bike too."

"You can't take the bike."

"It's my bike."

Jack sighs. He leans forward and pulls a wad of bills from his back pocket. He peels off some bills and hands them to Eric who takes it. It wasn't nearly enough.

T7S

Eric's bike is parked in front of an old, run-down motel. He sits on his bed in one of the rooms, and eats McDonald's. The TV is on playing a news report. He counts his pay-out, folds it, slips it in his boot.

Later in the day, Eric arrives at Jackie's place. He walks up and rings the doorbell. Door opens to reveal Jackie who stands there, wearing her Sunday best. She is speechless and stares at Eric through the screen door.

"Wow. You look like a princess." Eric says genuienly.

"What are you still doing here?"

"I'm here. I thought I would come over and take you guys to the park." He tells her.

Jackie nervously looks back into the house. "This isn't a good time." She asserted but it was too late.

"Ready?" A man's voice called from behind Jackie. She turns to see Steven Hyde. He come down the stairs carrying Jason in his arms.

Jackie turns back to Eric, "_We're _going to the park." Hyde opens the door and steps out onto the porch. He faces Eric and the two exchange looks, instantly remembering each other, though it has been a while.

"Forman?" He blurts, eyes widening a bit from behind his sunglasses. Those same sunglasses.

"Hey, man", Eric, rather emotionlessly greets. He studies his former friend. There wasn't any noticible changes besides the fact that he aged quite a bit. Was a little heavier. And his beard was just as bushy. The fact that Eric was seeing someone who was once like a brother to him was nice, but it was over-ridden by the fact that he was with Jackie. The fact that he was carrying _his_ baby as if it was his. He wonders if Hyde thought it was actually his baby. He had to of. No way Jackie would tell him about their affair. But it's not like Jackie was with Hyde during her and Eric's affair.

Eric was actually a bit suprised when he learned her and Hyde were back together. When he came home from Africa, he learned Jackie and Hyde had broken up and she was with Fez. All he knew was that that relationship didn't last long and that was the last time he knew of her and Hyde being together.

But they reconciled...

"When'd you get back, man?" Hyde asks, trying to make small talk. It wasn't really working. Looking at Eric, it was crazy seeing the difference from the awkward, nerdy teen from the '70s to the tougher, matured man of the '80s. Eric became distant from the group when he returned, and as a result all of the group became distant over time. Things sure have changed.

Eric glances at Jackie, who looks extremely uncomfortable before looking back at Hyde. "Oh, well, I came with the fair."

"You still performing these days?"

"Nah, man. Recently quit that actually,", he says, looking more at Jackie when he said it. He saw her face change once he said it. "How about you?" He asks Hyde. "What are you doing?"

"Bartending at Joey's", he answers.

Eric frowns, "What happened to the record store?"

"Oh, closed man. Business wasn't great for a while."

Eric nods and an awkward silence follows. He sees his son, Jason. He is less frightened of his own son now. In fact, he wants to hold him. He gestures to Hyde. "Do you mind?"

"You wanna hold him?" Hyde asks, a bit confused. Eric nods and Hyde hands Jason to him. It became clear to Eric at that point that Hyde was sure the baby was his own.

Eric and the baby stare at one another. "Whoa. He's a prince."

Jackie watches Eric and Jason. She smiles; tears well in her eyes. Hyde doesn't see this. "So when do you leave town, man?" Hyde asks.

Eric doesn't answer. His blood is slowly boiling. Just looking at his son, and realizing he wasn't the one taking care of him, made him pissed. Instead of answering Hyde's question, he asks his own question. "How long you lived here?"

Hyde frowns at him, noticing a little change in tone in his voice. "Couple months now."

"Little cheaper than having your own place, I suppose...". It's a slight insult out of nowhere. Hyde didn't see it coming and wasn't figuring out Eric's change of mood. Before Hyde can speak, Jackie beats him to the punch.

"Hyde's helping us buy this house..." She says.

"Wow. You move fast huh?" She asks Jackie. Her expression changing. She glares at Eric as Hyde is stumped at this exchange. "How much they want for a place like this anyway?"

"What's the problem, Forman?" Hyde asks.

"There is no problem, man. It's just a question." He tells him, though Hyde after knowing him for so long, easily tells his sarcasm. Jackie reaches in and takes Jason from Eric.

"Okay we have to go." Jackie says and starting down the steps. Eric and Hyde stare at each other for a moment before Hyde slowly follows her. Eric stands on the porch, watching his family pile into Hyde's car and pull away.

Later in the day, Eric pulls his bike into the parking lot of Friendly's Resturant, gets off, and walks into the restaurant. He meets with Mr. Feinstein, the manager, and the two go into his office. He looks over Eric's neatly handwritten resume. He looks up, smiles. "So why do you want to work at Friendly's, Mr. Forman?"

"I don't really want to in particular. I need to. You were the first to get back to me."

"You shouldn't answer like that."

"Just being honest, sir."

"An answer like that won't get you the job."

Eric sighs. "I need this... For my boy."

"Now, see? That's better and you didn't even have to lie."

In the stockroom of Friendly's, Eric sits in front of a television hooked up to a VCR. Mr. Feinstein puts a tape in the machine, presses 'play.' "This is only a few minutes long. Take a look, then come find me." He says and leaves the room. The video begins- it instructs new employees how to make the various types of sundaes. Everyone in the video is 19 or younger. Everyone smiles.

Though he knows he needs money, there's no way this is the job for him. He sits there for only a few minutes before he gets up, and strolls briskly out the front door. Feinstein catches him leaving out of the corner of his eye. He watches Eric straddle his bike and roar away.

T7S

It's the next day. Outside of town, thousands of tall, thin pines stand cheek by jowl. Eric speeds between them with reckless abandon on his bike. He catches sight of an ATV through the pines, plotting a parallel course, as if in unspoken friendly competition. Eric blows the other guy away.

Eric comes to a clearing, overlooking the parking area adjacent to the main road. He sees an middle-aged looking, shorter man in the distance working hard to get his ATV onto the trailer behind his pickup. The man sees Eric watching him from his perch.

The man finishes loading and gets in his cab, fires up the engine. He drives in a big circle, comes back to just underneath Eric. He leans out his window.

"Can I give you a lift?" The man calls out.

Eric thinks about it. And after a moment, he turns off his engine of his bike and looks down at him.

T7S

The man drives with Eric in the passenger seat. He eyes Eric, admiring his physicality. He introduces himself. "The name's Robin."

Eric obliges. "Eric", he greets, no enthusiasm in his voice.

"It has been a long time since I've seen anyone ride like that." He says, though Eric doesn't say anything, so the man begins again. "You'd think you could make that work for ya..."

"You'd think..."

Robin pulls up to Eric's motel, and surveys the run-down motel. "Thanks", Eric says, just about to get out before Robin speaks again.

"You're staying here?"

"Temporarily."

"Just passing through, huh?"

"Naw. I'm transitionin' in."

"What are you doing for work?" He asks. Eric looks around... not many opportunities in his sights.

"You know your way around an engine?"

Eric nods, "I do."

"I run a little service station back down Washout road. I could use a good, you know, American worker like you, you know what I mean? Good people. At least, that's what you seem like." Eric considers the offer. Robin flashes a wry smile. " Did I catch you at a busy time or something?"

T7S

They pull up to into a run-down service station. Busted cars crowd the bays. A junkyard dog barks at Eric. Robin gets out and shows Eric around his little piece of paradise. Eric looks around.

"This is it." Robin starts. "I can't promise you a lot of hours but you can keep looking for other gigs in the mean time. I can offer you a place to stay too."

Robin opens the door to a tiny studio. A tiny fridge sits next to a tiny stove, next to a twin bed. "It ain't much but probably beats that shit-hole you've been staying at." Eric looks around. "Anyway if this is helpful to you you're welcome to it."

"I'm not sucking your cock."

Robin laughs, awkward. "Okay...Have you been locked up?" Eric has. But he's not about to tell Robin about it. "You don't have to be coy with me, son. See this?" Robin points to his teeth. "I had too many postage stamps. Contraband, they said. They tell me they're gonna put me in solitary for a month. Problem is, I had this gum infection. Doc ordered 2 weeks of antibiotics before they would put me in solitary. But the warden... he saw no need for postponement. So he orders the prison dentist to pull all my top teeth. Then put me in solitary. Damn near starved to death. Mom smuggled in crushed penicillin pills." Robin punctuates his story by clacking his teeth.

"Ten years in Attica." Robin continues. "Ten years probation. I'm clean as a whistle now. You ever been in jail?"

"Yes, sir." It was something that happened in '84, when he was drinking heavily. He likes to forget about it. He was sure Jackie, and anyone else didn't know about it. He definitely prefers it that way.

"I knew it when I first saw you."

T7S

Eric tears down a winding road. The low sun creates a long shadow of him on his bike on the road in front of him. Later that night, he sits on the side of his bike. Across the street is Jackie's house. The kitchen is brightly lit and Eric can hear the sound of talking and laughter. From his bike he sees Hyde lifting Jason over his head and talking to him.

As he rides that night, he stops at a red light, red light in his face. Light turns green. He doesn't move. He is staring at the Trustco bank across the street.

T7S

It is the next day.

Eric, covered in grease, works diligently under a 1988 Ford Taurus at Robin's Service Station. He remembers not knowing anything about fixing things. That changed when one day his dad finally taught him. He's been good at it since.

He notices Robin's feet approach. Slides out from under. Robin peels a few bills and hands them down to Luke.

"Payday, my boy. Less room and board."

Eric counts his paltry sum. And sighs.

Later, Eric and Robin sit an old tree stump drinking beer.

"I need to earn more money." Eric states. "Any chance you give me a raise?" He is met with a sigh from Robin.

"Believe me, kid. If I could give anyone a raise, it would be you. You're a real asset. And good company too. The big chains bleed me a little bit more each month. The only regular work I get into the shop is souping up low-riders.

Eric nods his head, understanding. Robin toasts Eric with his beer. They drink.

"I like you." Robin praises. "You remind me of me. A lo-o-o-o-ong time ago.

Éric snickers, "You ain't so old."

"Not so old I'm throwing in the towel. I'm not just gonna sit there and wait around til someone tell's me I'm a dead duck. I have a feeling you're the same way. Right?

"I don't even know what you just said."

Robin laughs. "You've stolen before?"

Eric is quiet.

"Oh, please do pardon me." Robin starts. "I certainly hope my misjudging you in this way didn't hurt your feelings..C'mon man, you've stolen!"

"I've stolen. Since your so damn interested."

"But you did it stupid, right? You got liquored up and knocked over a convenience store or something?"

Eric is quiet again.

"But you got caught...Your problem wasn't your lack of courage. You seem like a pretty stand up guy. It was your lack of foresight huh? Your plan failed you. Look, how would you like to do it right? With me? What do you say?"

"I got two things to say. First of all, thank you, for considering me. Second of all, fuck you. I got a kid. And there's this girl."

"Well that's why we're talking here, isn't it? I never had children, that I know of, but I do watch a lot of TV. Nature shows mostly. Providing for your family, that's something I understand. It's animal. It's instinct. You get a mouth to feed and all of a sudden you got a purpose, you have a goal. And you focus everything you have, everything you are like a laser on that goal, right? You gotta edge out the competition with whatever you have to offer. With whatever talents are at your disposal. And you're a man with some very, very unique talents."

Eric looks hard at Robin. Not sure how to take this. It wasn't probably just the beer talking. He did have a point, though, but there's no way he could do that. Not ever.

So he thought, at least.

_Okay guys, what do you think? Also if many of the characters seem a little OOC, this is why I set it in 1987. Many things have changed. Nobody talks to each other anymore. Nobodys' lives turned out anything like they'd thought. Things have just worsened for these characters, which is why they've changed a bit. I like when characters grow, so I just need people to know that about this._

_But anyway, no matter what you thought please leave a review and tell me your thoughts!_


	3. Chapter 3

It's Paulie's Diner. The darkest hour before the dawn. It's the middle of a long shift for Jackie Burkhart. She steps from the kitchen carrying several plates. She drops off the breakfast specials at their destination and sees Eric - slumped in a booth.

Jackie stares at the back of his head for a while.

Moments later, they look at one another over cups of coffee. He walks up to her.

"Marry me."

Jackie tries to repress her laughter.

"Why are you laughing?"

She smiles at him, "You're stupid. We only had an affair. It only lasted a few weeks, Eric."

"I know I want to be with you. And I know I love my boy...He's definitely my boy, right?"

She gazes at him, "...Yeah... But you didn't even know he existed until a few days ago."

"...Don't matter."

"You say you want to marry me. You don't mean it. You might think you do. But it's not true. You're just excited..."

"Jackie.." Eric begins, looking down, then back up at her. "I like you, okay? Alot..I don't know why I let you go in the first place... And I love him. That's it. There's nothin' left to say. That's truth."

Jackie soaks up his words.

"Look I wanna take care of you...I wanna take care of my son, that's my job. Let me do my job."

"Oh, really? How are you gonna do that?"

Eric frowns at her, "Why do you have to say it like that?"

"It's just a question, Eric...How are you gonna take care of me?"

Eric looks down, getting upset. "I'll..I'll find a way to do it." She stares at him. He looks back up at her. Looking at her made him want to take care of her even more. "Look, you want a house? I'll get you a house. Not the one who have now. A good one. Remember you always wanted to live in a big, nice house. Jackie Burkhart shouldn't settle for anything less than that. Okay, you want to get out of here? We'll get the hell out of this god-forsaken town. I got that trailer...I'll get a truck, and we'll hit the road..You pick a place you like, we'll stop. You don't want to be there? We're out of there."

She takes a deep breath, "What about Steven?"

"He can stay home. And get his own girl and his own kid."

Jackie gets up from the booth and leans in closer to him, putting her hand on his, "Sounds like a nice dream." She tells him, and then walks away.

"Jackie", he calls but she's already walking the other way. He sits there, frusterated, and upset. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. He sees that the check is $1.50. He takes over ten dollars out and puts it on the table for Jackie, gets up and walks away.

It's later that night. Eric is at a red light, cigarette dangling from his mouth. He stares at the Truscoe bank once again. Knowing what he needs to do.

T7S

It's the next day. Robin and Eric sit at the kitchen table. A map is spread out before them. On it - several locations marked with red dots. All banks.

"These are a few prospects, but I'm sure we could find some more." Robin places something swaddled in old flannel rags on the table. He pushes it toward Eric.

"Don't ask me where I got it from."

Eric slowly unwraps the flannel - a .38 snub-nosed pistol sits on the table.

"We'd split everything fifty-fifty."

Eric frowns at him, very uneasy with what he just said. "Seems like I'm taking most of the risk. I should get most of the reward."

Robin eyes him, "I'll just find someone else who will be happy with an even split."

"Really? You're gonna get someone else to rob a goddamn bank with you? Okay Robin."

"Come on!" Robin yells. "Don't get lawyerly on me...Sixty-forty."

"Seventy-thirty."

"Sixty-five-thirty-five or go to hell."

Eric picks up the pistol, tucks it into the back of his sweat pants. Now he has the power. His Taxi Driver faze was about to come back. In full force.

Later that day, Robin and Eric inspect a beat-to-hell cube truck at his service station. It's white and nondescript. The windshield has a crack across it. "Doesn't look like much, but it runs fine. And the back is big enough."

"You bought this? For this?"

"You gotta spend money to make money."

T7S

It's night, and the two are outside Robin's service station again, about to practice. Robin clicks the button of a stop-watch. "Go."

Halfway across the garage bay stands an old bureau. Eric runs up to the bureau and vaults it.

"Ten seconds. Let's go." Robin announces.

Eric stands behind the bureau and grabs Monopoly money that had been placed in the bureau's drawers.

"You didn't tell anyone what to do." Robin points out. "People are getting panicked."

Eric halfheartedly speaks into the empty garage. "Everyone get down on the floor."

"Aw, Jesus. You sound like you're asking some jerk off for directions... Twenty seconds."

Eric grabs the rest of the money and leaps over the bureau. He runs for the bay's door and Robin clicks his stopwatch. "Pathetic." He finally says to a panting Eric. Robin places his hand gently on Eric's chest. "Listen, kid. You're a performer, right? These folks in the bank, they're your audience. They're expecting a show. They want to see a real live bank robber. Give 'em what they want, and you won't get any trouble."

T7S

It's the next morning. Eric walks in the bank. There is a sign that says, "FREE DONUTS" on the wall. He takes a donut and looks around.

He walks up to the counter, to see a young, female teller.

"How can I help you today?" The sweet, young lady asks with a smile.

"Hi there." Eric greets. "I'd like to start an account." He sets his money down on the counter. The teller counts it. He then watches the use a set of keys she has wrapped around her wrist on an elastic band to open up three separate drawers. The drawers contains different bills.

T7S

It is night, and time for practice once again. Eric and Robin are again outside his service station.

Robin starts his stopwatch. "Go."

Eric bounds past him, into the bay. "Ladies and Gentlemen!" Eric yells in the empty garage. "I ask that each and every one of you lay yourselves down on the goddamn floor, if you please!" Eric vaults the 'counter', grabs the 'money', vaults back and runs to Robin who clicks his stop watch.

"You're making me proud." Robin proudly states.

A bit out of breath, Eric pulls the gun from his waistband. "This thing gotta be loaded?" Eric asks.

"What?"

"Just sayin'. I'm not gonna hurt anyone."

"Well hell's bells. Why don't we just get you a squirt gun instead?"

Eric shakes his head and laughs. Robin reminded him of Red in a few ways. He grabs the gun. "You understand fully what we've engaged here, correct?" He asks Eric.

"Yeah, I do."

"I don't want anything to happen."

That night, Eric sits on his bed and inspects the pistol. He swings open the cylinder, methodically removes the bullets. He lines them up meticulously on his night stand. After a few hours, he goes down and uses a spray gun to paint his bike black.

He is ready.

T7S

It's the next morning. Eric wakes up early and gets ready. It's a cloudy day. Eric can't believe he's actually about to do this. He climbs on his black bike, adrenaline starting to pump.

He wears a black motorcycle helmet as he bolts down the turnpike; an empty child's school backpack on his back, passing multiple cars. He arrives at the bank, parks, and climbs off, leaving his bike running right outside the front door of a bank. He checks the time and looks around. He paces back and forth, breathing heavily. He's having second thoughts, but the moment he thinks about Jackie and Jason, those second thoughts fade.

He bursts through the door.

Eric enters, still wearing his helmet, and pulls the pistol from his front jacket pocket and points it theatrically into the air. Nobody seems to notice him yet. He strolls through the bank with measured strides. "Ladies and gentleman, listen up!" He yells. His voice cracking a bit out of nervousness. "This is gonna be the fastest bank robbery you've ever witnessed." Clipped screams of shock echo through the bank. "Now if you'll all please oblige me and get on down onto the floor there, I'd really appreciate it." The bank falls silent with fear and the people do as their told.

Eric runs up to the counter and vaults it, slips off the backpack. Three female tellers huddle behind the counter. Eric squats down on his haunches and finds the one who served him before. He pulls the keys off her wrist and opens the top drawer at her station. "Open up the top two drawers all the way along", he orders, not trying to scare her too bad. His adrenaline is pumping, he's scared shitless, but he's never had more fun in a long, long time.

Eric tosses his backpack to another teller. "Hold the bag so she can fill it."

They fill the bag with money, hand it to Eric, and back away, hands raised. Eric vaults the counter to the other side. "Thank you all kindly for your attentive cooperation!" He walks out the door calmly and quickly.

"Sound of sirens approach as Eric gets on the bike and takes off.

He tears down the road, passing cars in front of him. The cops can't catch up. He takes a dangerous and wild right turn onto a small country road. After a few more turns, he drives up to Robin's old cube truck which is parked on the side of the road. Its back is open and its loading ramp down. He drives into it, hops off, and shuts the door. The truck lurches forwards, pulling a U-turn.

Cop cars scream by the truck as Robin drives the other way. Eric gets off his bike in the back. It is dark. He couldn't believe what he just did. It all hit him so fast. So much that he vomits right there. He starts laughing. He couldn't believe he just did it.

T7S

It's night now. Eric and Robin lay out the money in neat piles. "It's not a million dollars or anything." Robin starts. "But we do this a few more times..."

Robin pushes Eric's cut to him, stands up and walks around the table. "We did it man!"


End file.
